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THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT 

Commission  on 

Training  Camp 

Activities 


"/  regard  the  work  of  the 
Commission  on  Training  Camp 
Activities  as  a  most  significant 
factor  in  winning  the  war." 

—NEWTON  D.  BAKER 

Secretary  of  War 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT 

Commission  on 

Training  Camp 

Activities 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


X.  i\ 


IN  GENERAL 

IN  April,  1917,  Secretary  Baker  appointed  a  Commis- 
sion on  Training  Camp  Activities  under  the  Chairman- 
ship of  Raymond  B.  Fosdick  of  New  York.  The  mem- 
bers, in  addition  to  the  Chairman,  were  Lee  F.  Hanmer 
of  New  York,  Thomas  J.  Howells  of  Pittsburgh,  Marc 
Klaw  of  New  York,  Joseph  Lee  of  Boston,  Malcolm  L. 
McBride  of  Cleveland,  Dr.  John  R.  Mott  of  New  York, 
Charles  P.  Neill  of  Washington,  Lieut.  Col.  Palmer  E. 
Pierce,  U.S.A.,  and  Dr.  Joseph  E.  Raycroft  of  Prince- 
ton University.  Jasper  J.  Mayer  is  Secretary  to  the 
Commission.  To  supply  the  normalities  of  life  to  nearly 
a  million  and  a  half  young  men  in  training  camps,  and 
to  keep  the  environs  of  those  camps  clean  and  whole- 
some, was  the  two-fold  task  outlined  for  the  Commission. 
When  one  considers  that  these  men  in  camp  have  left 
their  families,  homes  and  friends,  their  clubs,  churches 
and  college  gatherings,  their  dances,  their  town  libra- 
ries, athletic  fields,  theatres  and  movie  houses — in  fact, 
all  the  normal  social  relationships  to  which  they  have 
been  accustomed — and  have  entered  a  strange  new  life 
in  which  everything  is  necessarily  subordinated  to  the 

3 

372084 


need  of  creating  an  efficient  fighting  force,  the  impor- 
tance of  the  Commission's  work  becomes  apparent.  An 
army  in  fighting  trim  is  a  contented  army ;  contentment 
for  the  average  man  cannot  be  maintained  without  the 
normal  relations  of  life. 

The  task  of  this  Commission,  therefore,  is  to  re-estab- 
lish, as  far  as  possible,  the  old  social  ties — to  furnish 
these  young  men  a  substitute  for  the  recreational  and 
relaxational  opportunities  to  which  they  have  been  ac- 
customed—in brief,  to  rationalize,  as  far  as  it  can  be 
done,  the  bewildering  environment  of  a  war  camp. 
It  is  also  for  the  Commission  to  prevent  and  suppress 
certain  vicious  conditions  traditionally  associated  with 
armies  and  training  camps. 

To  a  great  extent  the  Commission  has  employed  in 
these  two  important  activities  the  machinery  of  organ- 
izations and  agencies  heretofore  interested  along  such 
lines.  Except  where  necessary,  it  has  not  created  any 
new  machinery. 

To  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the 
Knights  of  Columbus,  for  instance,  the  Commission 
has  looked  to  supply  a  large  share  of  the  club  life  and 
entertainment  inside  the  training  camps.  To  the  Amer- 
ican Library  Association  it  has  instinctively  turned  for  an 

4 


adequate  supply  of  books  and  reading  facilities  for  the 
troops.  To  organize  the  social  and  recreational  life  of 
the  communities  adjacent  to  the  training  camps  the 
Commission  enlisted  the  services  of  the  Playground  and 
Recreation  Association  of  America,  which  has  placed 
representatives  in  over  one  hundred  such  communities 
and  has  harnessed  the  lodges,  churches,  clubs,  and  other 
local  groups  and  organizations  with  the  men  in  the  camps. 
So,  too,  such  agencies  as  the  Travelers'  Aid  Society 
and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  have  been 
brought  into  play  in  connection  with  the  community 
problem. 

Suppressive  work  in  dealing  with  vicious  conditions 
is  handled  by  direct  representatives  of  the  Commission, 
with  whom  are  co-operating  such  organizations  as  the 
Committee  of  Fourteen  of  New  York,  the  Watch  and 
Ward  Society  of  New  England,  the  Committee  of  Fif- 
teen of  Chicago,  the  Bureau  of  Social  Hygiene  of  New 
York,  and  the  American  Social  Hygiene  Association. 
Local  police  organizations  and  sheriffs,  as  well  as  the 
machinery  of  the  Department  of  Justice  and  the  Military 
Provost  Guards,  have  been  utilized  in  this  work.  The 
special  problem  arising  from  the  presence  of  young  girls 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  camps  is  handled  by  the  Young 

5 


Women's  Christian  Association  and  by  a  Committee 
on  Protective  Work  attached  to  the  Commission. 

Within  the  camps,  in  addition  to  the  facilities  already 
mentioned,  the  Commission  has  appointed  sports-direc- 
tors, boxing  instructors,  song  leaders,  and  dramatic  enter- 
tainment managers.  Theatres  are  being  erected  in  each 
cantonment  for  the  exhibition  of  regular  dramatic  per- 
formances, and  special  facilities  have  been  provided  for 
the  production  of  moving  pictures,  vaudeville,  and  other 
forms  of  amusement.  Divisional  exchange  officers, 
appointed  by  the  Commission,  one  in  each  camp,  are 
superintending  the  operation  of  the  regimental  Post 
Exchanges,  or  soldiers'  co-operative  stores. 

This  constitutes  a  brief  resume  of  the  machinery  by 
which  the  Commission  is  accomplishing  its  work.  To 
meet  its  expenses,  Congress  has  made  an  appropri- 
ation. The  size  of  its  task  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
its  activities  have  to  do  with  all  classes  of  camps  and 
cantonments  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  War  Depart- 
ment. Some  of  these  camps  contain  as  many  as  50,000 
men,'  and  the  problem  of  arranging  and  ordering  their 
leisure-time  opportunities  must  be  promptly  and  effec- 
tively met.  The  following  pages  describe  more  in  detail 
what  progress  has  been  made  along  each  particular  line 
up  to  October  15,  when  this  pamphlet  went  to  press. 

6 


INSIDE  THE  CAMP 

The  Young  Men  s  Christian  Association 

(Dr.  John  R.  Mott  in  charge) 

BECAUSE  of  its  experience  in  army  and  navy  work, 
the   Young   Men's   Christian  Association,   upon 
recommendation  by  the  Commission  on  Training 
Camp  Activities,  was  given  official  recognition  as  one  of 
the  agencies  for  furnishing  recreational  facilities  within 
the  camps.     It  works  in  close  co-operation  with  the  Com- 
mission.    All  its  entertainments  are  free  of  charge — 
all  absolutely  non-sectarian. 

From  nine  to  fourteen  recreational  and  social  buildings 
are  being  erected  in  each  of  the  National  Army  canton- 
ments, and  in  each  of  the  National  Guard  Camps  at 
least  six  buildings.  These  include,  in  each  National 
Army  cantonment,  an  auditorium  seating  three  thousand. 
Up  to  September  2ist  contracts  for  three  hundred  and 
sixty-two  buildings  had  been  let.  Almost  all  will  be 
completed  by  the  time  cantonment  construction  is  done. 
Over  one  hundred  and  fifty  tents,  40  x  80  feet,  and 
four  hundred  special  outfits  or  equipments  for  Associa- 

7 


tion  purposes  also  have  been  provided.  Each  outfit 
includes,  among  other  things,  a  piano,  motion  picture 
machine,  phonograph,  office  supplies,  postcards,  pens, 
ink,  pencils,  stationery,  reading  matter,  etc. — all  free. 
It  is  estimated  that  the  service  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  in  American  training  camps  in 
the  next  nine  months  will  cost  eleven  million  dollars. 
This  money  is  furnished  by  private  subscription. 

3,000  MEN  SOON  IN  ITS  SERVICE 
Already  over  two  thousand  war  work  secretaries  are 
in  the  field  under  appointment.  Another  thousand  will 
soon  be  added.  These  men  include  physical  direc- 
tors, educational  directors,  etc.  It  is  the  aim  of  the  or- 
ganization to  supply  every  service  for  which  there  is  a 
demand.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
secretary  has  come  to  be  the  "big  brother"  of  the  troops. 

THE  ENTERTAINMENT  FEATURES 

The  program  planned  for  Association  buildings  and 
auditoriums  within  the  camps  includes  motion  pictures, 
professional  programs,  and  other  forms  of  entertainment, 
such  as  mass  singing,  amateur  dramatics,  etc.  The  plan 
for  motion  pictures  involves  the  presentation  of  from 
eight  million  to  ten  million  feet  of  film  a  week.  This 

8 


service  is  provided  at  actual  cost  by  the  Community 
Motion  Picture  Bureau.  A  weekly  newspaper  of  eight 
pages,  "In  Trench  and  Camp,"  is  being  published  under 
the  general  auspices  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  for  each  of  the  thirty-two  National  Guard 
and  National  Army  camps. 

The  Association  buildings  are  freely  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  army  chaplains  for  religious  services.  The  same 
building  is  often  used  in  turn  for  Catholic,  Protestant, 
and  Jewish  services. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus  and  Other 
Organizations 

Just  as  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  rep- 
resents the  Protestant  denominations,  which  will  con- 
stitute roughly  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  new  army,  so  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  represent  the  Catholic  denomina- 
tion, which  will  constitute  perhaps  thirty-five  per  cent, 
of  the  army.  While  this  latter  society  is  a  fraternal 
organization,  it  will  sustain  exactly  the  same  relation 
to  the  camps  as  is  sustained  by  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  and  will  hold  no  meetings  to  which  all 

9 


the  troops  in  the  camp  are  not  invited,  regardless  of 
religious -or  other  preference.  Indeed,  the  admission 
of  both  these  societies  to  military  reservations  was  upon 
the  condition  that  they  would  not  limit  their  activities 
to  a  particular  constituency,  and  that  their  buildings 
would  at  all  times  and  for  all  meetings  be  open  to  the  en- 
tire camp.  The  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  in 
its  recreational  work  has  identified  itself  with  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association. 

DETAILS  OF  THEIR  FACILITIES 

There  were  in  October  15,  1917,  sixty-five  Knights  of 
Columbus  halls  completed  and  in  operation  in  the  vari- 
ous training  camps.  Fifty  secretaries  were  at  work, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  within  a  few  weeks  two  hundred 
and  fifty  representatives  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
will  be  ministering  to  the  general  welfare  and  comfort 
of  the  soldiers  in  training  camps. 

Each  Knights  of  Columbus  hall  is  equipped  with  read- 
ing desks,  benches,  folding  chairs,  phonographs,  player- 
pianos,  moving  picture  apparatus,  athletic  equipment, 
and  facilities  for  other  entertainment.  If  there  is  a 
demand,  debating  and  literary  societies  will  be  or- 
ganized. 

10 


The  American  Library  Association 

The  Commission  asked  the  American  Library  Asso- 
ciation to  undertake  the  important  task  of  furnishing 
books,  magazines  and  general  library  facilities,  as  well 
as  trained  librarians,  to  the  men  in  the  camps.  A 
special  library  building  is  planned  for  each  National 
Army  camp  and  National  Guard  camp.  Indeed,  these 
buildings  are  already  in  process  of  construction  and 
more  than  one  million  dollars  has  been  raised  by  the 
Association  to  carry  on  the  work. 
The  aims  of  the  American  Library  Association  are: 

First,  that  librarians  and  library  facilities  be  available 
for  soldiers  and  sailors  wherever  assembled. 

Second,  that  the  libraries  be  maintained  in  such  a  way 
that  not  only  will  reading  matter  be  available  for  the 
largest  number  of  soldiers,  but  that  every  possible  en- 
couragement and  stimulus  will  be  given  to  reading  by 
the  men  in  the  service  of  the  country. 

The  Knights  of  Columbus  halls,  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  buildings,  the  regimental  Post  Ex- 
changes, as  well  as  the  barrack  buildings,  are  used  as  distrib- 
uting centers  in  the  camps,  the  idea  being  to  have  a  good 
book  within  reach  of  the  soldier  whenever  he  wants  one. 

11 


Recreative  Athletic 

(Dr.  Joseph  E.  Raycroft  in  charge) 

A  comprehensive  organization  is  being  developed  in 
each  of  the  cantonments  to  encourage  the  largest  possible 
number  of  soldiers  to  participate  regularly  in  some  form  of 
athletics  during  their  leisure  time.  Special  stress  is  laid  on 
hard  competitive  sports  that  develop  the  righting  instinct. 

The  responsibility  for  the  organization  and  conduct 
of  these  recreative  athletics  in  each  camp  is  in  the  hands 
of  a  skilled  organizer  and  coach  who  is  officially  recog- 
nized as  a  civilian  aide  on  the  staff  of  the  Commanding 
Officer.  His  salary  is  paid  from  Government  funds. 
Thirty  such  sports-directors  have  been  appointed  by  the 
Commission  and  assigned  to  posts.  The  supervision 
of  this  work  in  each  camp  involves  the  creation  of  a 
Divisional  Athletic  Council,  supplemented  by  regimental 
councils,  and  by  such  organization  among  the  com- 
panies as  may  be  necessary.  The  sports-directors  in  the 
National  Army  camps  will  be  assisted  by  boxing  in- 
structors, fifteen  of  whom  have  already  been  appointed. 
They  will  also  co-operate  with  the  representatives  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  Knights  of 
Columbus  assigned  to  athletic  work  in  the  camps. 

12 


SPECIAL  STRESS  ON  BOXING 

Special  emphasis  is  laid  on  boxing,  not  only  because 
it  is  an  excellent  sport,  but  because  of  its  intimate  con- 
nection with  bayonet  fighting.  A  committee  under  the 
Commission  has  been  appointed  to  advise  on  this  matter, 
consisting  of  James  J.  Corbett,  Norman  Selby  (Kid 
McCoy),  Robert  Edgren,  Richard  Melligan,  and  Mich- 
ael Donovan.  The  boxing  instructors  in  the  camps  will 
train  specially  detailed  groups  of  men  who  have  had  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  this  sport  to  become  assistant  in- 
structors. Frequent  boxing  contests  will  be  held.  To 
standardize  instruction  and  to  give  the  troops  a  better 
idea  of  the  work,  a  set  of  moving  pictures  has  been  made 
to  demonstrate  the  fundamental  principles  of  boxing  and 
the  elements  of  bayonet  practice. 

EQUIPMENT 

Baseballs,  bats,  basket  balls,  soccer  balls,  boxing 
gloves,  etc.,  will  be  supplied  each  company  in  the  camps. 
The  Government  has  made  a  small  appropriation  for  the 
purchase  of  this  equipment.  This  appropriation  amounts 
to  only  about  one-tenth  of  the  money  that  will  be  re- 
quired, and  supplementary  funds,  therefore,  will  be 
necessary.  The  minimum  athletic  equipment  planned 
for  each  soldier  in  the  army  will  cost  seventy-five  cents. 

13 


The  Post  Exchange  or  Soldiers*  Co- 
operative Store 

(Mr.  Malcolm  L.  McBride  in  charge) 

One  of  the  most  important  activities  within  the  camp, 
which  the  War  Department  has  asked  the  Commission 
on  Training  Camp  Activities  to  organize,  is  the  Post 
Exchange.  There  the  soldier  buys  tobacco,  handker- 
chiefs, soap,  candy,  and  other  articles  not  provided  by 
the  Government.  At  the  sixteen  National  Army  can- 
tonments, which  comprise  eight  or  nine  full  regiments, 
a  Post  Exchange  for  each  regiment  has  been  established. 
In  each  camp  there  is  a  Division  Exchange  Officer, 
selected  by  the  Commission,  who,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Commanding  Officer,  has  general  supervision  over 
all  Post  Exchanges.  Any  profits  accumulatiug  to  the 
Post  Exchanges  are  expended  in  a  way  decided  upon  by 
the  votes  of  the  men  in  the  regiment. 

National  Army  divisions  will  have  eventually  thirteen 
to  eighteen  exchanges  each,  according  to  local  conditions. 
At  present  the  divisions  average  ten  exchanges  each  in 
operation — some  of  them  in  temporary  quarters.  The 
gross  daily  business  of  each  division  is  now  running  about 
$5,000,  at  a  conservative  estimate. 

14 


Camp  Music 

(Mr.  Lee  F.  Hanmer  in  charge) 

In  order  to  develop  singing  in  the  Army,  the  Commis- 
sion has  adopted  the  expedient  of  appointing  song 
leaders  in  the  various  camps  and  cantonments.  The 
plan  is  to  extend  this  work  until  every  camp  in  the  United 
States  is  supplied  with  a  competent  leader.  Appropri- 
ations for  this  activity  have  been  approved  by  Com- 
gress. 

The  results  have  been  extraordinary,  and  Command- 
ing Officers  are  uniformly  enthusiastic  over  the  idea  of 
sending  a  singing  army  to  France.  As  an  illustration  of 
the  effect  of  the  work  of  the  song  leaders,  the  following 
quotation  is  given  from  the  letter  of  an  officer : 

1 '  Between  five  and  six  thousand  men  participated  in 
the  most  inspiring  evening  I  have  ever  enjoyed.  When 
everybody  sang  '  The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic '  and 
Harry  Barnhart  got  the  soldiers  emphasizing  'Glory! 
Glory  I  Hallelujah!  His  Truth  is  Marching  on!'  you 
should  have  seen  the  faces  glowing  under  the  lights* 
The  camp  became  inspired.  The  men  cheered  and 
cheered.  Then  the  Southern  boys  called  for  * Carry 
Me  Back  to  Old  Virginny'  and  'My  Old  Kentucky 

15 


Home.1  Then  we  sang  'A  Perfect  Day'  and  'My 
Hero.1  Then  they  called  for  'Old  Black  Joe:  The 
harmony  was  wonderful.  Automobiles  way  out  on 
the  road  tooted  their  horns,  and  it  was  ten  minutes  be- 
fore the  enthusiasm  subsided.  We  sang  from  eight 
o'clock  until  ten  o'clock,  and  ended  with  the  'Star 
Spangled  Banner.'  I  have  never  heard  this  song 
SUNG  before.  The  Commanding  Officer  came  for- 
ward after  the  singing  and  said  it  was  the  greatest 
thing  he  had  ever  listened  to." 

To  co-operate  with  the  commission  in  this  important 
work  the  National  Committee  on  Army  and  Navy  Camp 
Music  was  created.  The  chairman  is  W.  Kirkpatrick 
Brice  of  New  York;  the  other  members — M.  Morgenthau, 
Jr.,  of  New  York,  John  Alden  Carpenter  of  Chicago 
and  Mrs.  George  Barrelle  of  Buffalo.  Miss  Frances  F. 
Brundage,  Supervisor  of  the  Chicago  Civic  Music 
Association,  was  granted  an  indefinite  leave  of  absence 
to  become  executive  secretary  of  the  committee. 

A  committee  of  camp  song  leaders  has  compiled  a 
song  book,  which  has  been  published  under  the  title 
Songs  of  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors.  This  book  has  been 
printed  and  is  sold  at  cost  through  the  Post  Exchanges. 


16 


Dramatic  Entertainment 

(Mr.  Marc  Klaw  in  charge) 

A  fully  equipped  modern  theatre  building  seating  three 
thousand  people  is  being  built  in  each  of  the  sixteen 
National  Army  camps. 

A  committee  of  theatrical  managers  and  others,  whose 
chairman  is  Mr.  Marc  Klaw  of  Klaw  &  Erlanger,  is 
assisting  in  the  organization  of  the  talent  for  the  program 
to  be  given  in  these  buildings,  and  in  the  booking  and 
management  throughout  the  camps.  Many  of  the  fore- 
most theatrical  stars  of  the  country  are  booked.  These 
entertainments  are  planned  to  begin  early  in  November. 

An  admission  charge  of  150,  20,  and  2$c,  will  be  made. 
From  the  proceeds  the  expenses  of  the  entertainment 
will  be  paid,  the  balance  to  remain  as  a  government 
fund  to  finance  non-revenue-producing  activities  within 
the  camps.  The  plan  is  to  make  the  admission  fee  such 
as  just  to  cover  running  expenses.  A  representative  of 
the  Commission  will  be  in  charge  of  each  of  those  audi- 
toriums and  will  be  responsible  for  the  program.  The 
theatres  are  so  planned  that  they  can  be  used  for  various 
recreational  and  educational  activities  at  any  time, 
winter  or  summer. 

17 


GENERAL  COMMITTEE  HEADS  ASSISTING  MARC  KLAW 

David  Belasco  George  M.  Cohan 

A.  L.  Erlanger  Irving  Berlin 

Lee  Shubert  John  L.  Golden 

E.  F.  Albee  A.  H.  Woods 

Gatti-Casazza  W.  L.  Lillard 

Sam  Scribner  Arthur  Hopkins 

Henry  W.  Savage  Arch  Selwyn 

Arthur  Hammerstein  F.  Richard  Anderson 

Sam  H.  Harris  Joseph  Klaw 

CLUB  AFFILIATIONS 
THE  LAMBS,  William  Courtney 
THE  FRIARS,  George  M.  Cohan 
THE  PLAYERS,  John  Drew 
ACTORS'  EQUITY,  Francis  Wilson 
NATIONAL  VAUDEVILLE  CLUB,  Willard  Mack 

GENERAL  DISTRIBUTION  TICKETS,  ETC. 
Stage  Women's  War  Relief 

ADMSORY  COMMITTEE 
Otto  Kahn,  Chairman 

George  F.  Baker  Clarence  H.  Mackay 

George  Gordon  Battle  Thomas  W.  Lamont 

James  M.  Beck  Prof.  Brander  Matthews 

August  Belmont  W.  Forbes  Morgan 

Paul  D.  Cravath  Frederic  R.  Coudert 

William  A.  Delano  Prof.  H.  Fairfield  Osborn 

Chas.  Dana  Gibson  Chas.  H.  Sabin 

Daniel  Guggenheim  Dr.  Nicholas  Murray  Butler 

Augustus  D.  Juillard  Francis  Lynde  Stetson 

Alvin  W.  Krech  George  W.  Wickersham 

18 


Redpath  Entertainments 

(Mr.  Lee  F.  Hanmer  in  charge) 

By  arrangement  with  the  Redpath  Lyceum  Bureau  a 
tent  in  each  National  Army  and  National  Guard  camp 
has  been  erected  and  a  first-class  program  of  plays  and 
entertainments  provided.  They  are  being  operated  on 
a  cost  basis.  Accounts  will  be  audited  by  the  Com- 
mission and  any  surplus  receipts  will  be  turned  over  to 
the  Post  Exchanges. 

Entertainment  Concessions 

In  general  no  concessions  to  private  amusement  enter- 
prises are  permitted  within  the  camps.  In  a  few  camps, 
however,  where  on  account  of  transit  or  other  local  con- 
ditions access  is  not  to  be  had  to  amusements  in  neigh- 
boring cities,  concessions  have  been  approved  by 
the  Commission  for  motion  picture  and  vaudeville 
entertainments  to  be  conducted  within  privately  erected 
theatres  within  the  camps.  A  percentage  of  the  profits 
of  such  entertainments  go  to  the  Post  Exchange,  and  the 
entertainments  themselves  are  under  the  close  super- 
vision of  the  Commanding  Officers.  Only  a  few  such 
concessions  to  private  enterprises  have  been  granted. 

19 


Educational  Work 

A  committee  on  education,  attached  to  the  Commis- 
sion, has  been  appointed,  consisting  of  the  following: 

DR.  WILLIAM  ORR,  Chairman;  DR.  P.  P.  CLAXTON  of  the  Bureau 
of  Education,  Department  of  the  Interior;  DR.  HARRY  PRATT  JUD- 
SON,.  President  of  the  University  of  Chicago;  DR.  JOHN  H.  FINLEY 
of  the  University  of  New  York;  COL.  P.  H.  CALLAHAN  of  Louisville. 

This  committee  has  provided  means  for  giving  ade- 
quate courses  in  the  French  language  and  in  French 
geography  in  all  the  cantonments  and  National  Guard 
training  camps.  These  courses  are  entirely  optional  and 
are  given  at  such  hours  as  military  duties  and  regulations 
permit.  Under  this  plan  any  soldier  can,  during  the 
time  of  his  training,  readily  acquire  a  vocabulary  of  six 
or  seven  hundred  French  words,  and  a  knowledge  of 
French  geography  and  customs  which  will  be  of  great 
assistance  to  him  abroad.  In  addition  the  committee 
is  planning  to  provide  means  for  giving  courses  in  any 
subject  for  which  there  is  a  demand.  Instruction  in  the 
English  language  has  been  found  necessary  in  connection 
with  some  soldiers  drafted  from  our  foreign  population. 

The  committee  is  utilizing  in  its  work  the  machinery 
not  only  of  university  extension  courses  but  particularly 
of  the  educational  department  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  It  is 
prepared  to  utilize  any  educational  machinery  which  can 
readily  be  adapted  to  its  purpose. 

20 


OUTSIDE  THE  CAMP 

The  Playground  and  Recreation 
Association  of  America 

(Mr.  Joseph  Lee  in  charge) 

EXPERIENCE  has  shown  that  the  instinctive  de- 
sire of  a  soldier  with  an  hour  of  free  time  is  to  go 
to  town,  even  if  the  town  is  only  a  cross-roads. 
To  make  the  communities  adjacent  to  the  training  camps 
the  best  possible  places  for  the  soldiers  in  their  free  time — 
to  organize  the  social  and  recreational  facilities  of  the 
towns  so  that  they  shall  meet  every  need  and  contribute 
to  the  mental,  moral,  and  physical  health  of  the  men 
in  the  training  camps — that  is  the  work  which  the  Play- 
ground and  Recreation  Association  of  America  is  under- 
taking under  the  direction  of  the  Commission. 

WORKING  IN  A  HUNDRED  COMMUNITIES 

Nearly  one  hundred  communities  are  being  helped 
in  their  efforts  to  prepare  for  the  thousands  of  men  in 
camp  near  them.  Eighty-seven  representatives  of  the 

21 


Playground  and  Recreation  Association  of  America  are 
now  at  work  in  these  cities. 

The  recreation  provided  must  be  clean,  wholesome  and 
plentiful.  It  must  be  made  possible  for  the  troops  to 
meet  the  men  and  women  of  the  town,  so  as  to  provide 
an  antidote  for  the  homesickness,  depression,  and  social 
loneliness,  which  are  so  real  a  menace  to  the  morale  of 
the  men.  The  community  organizers,  representing  the 
Commission,  are  stirring  the  cities  near  the  camps  to  a 
realization  of  their  responsibility  toward  the  troops  who 
are  their  guests.  The  slogan  is  not  "What  can  we  make 
out  of  the  soldiers?"  but,  "What  can  we  do  for  the  sol- 
diers?" 

How  THE  RESULTS  ARE  OBTAINED 

Each  of  the  local  community  representatives,  through 
the  organization  of  a  central  committee  (with  a  number 
of  sub-committees)  co-ordinates  the  activities  of  each 
agency  and  group  of  people  touching  and  controlling 
in  any  way  the  recreational  resources  of  the  town. 
Churches  and  fraternal  orders  are  being  stimulated  to 
entertain  their  own  soldier  membership.  Socials  and 
dances  are  being  arranged,  where  the  troops  may  meet 
the  young  women  of  the  community.  Entertainment  of 

22 


the  soldiers  in  the  homes  of  the  citizens  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  features  of  the  hospitality  program.  "Take 
a  soldier  home  for  dinner"  has  become  a  slogan.  On 
one  Sunday  in  a  single  community  five  thousand  men 
were  thus  entertained. 

The  public  resources  of  the  cities,  such  as  swimming 
pools,  shower  baths  and  baseball  fields,  have  been  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  men.  Provision  is  being  made 
for  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers  and  their  guests  through 
the  installation  of  comfort  stations  and  drinking  foun- 
tains, and  through  the  listing  of  available  hotels  and 
lodging  houses.  Rest  rooms  and  ' 'khaki  clubs' '  are  being 
established;  directories  of  points  of  interest  and  places 
of  amusement  are  being  published.  Automobile  rides 
for  the  soldiers,  community  " sings"  and  band  concerts 
are  being  given.  In  every  way  possible  the  cities'  re- 
sources are  being  made  available  for  the  troops  in  their 
leisure  time. 

ASSISTANCE  BY  THE  YOUNG  WOMEN'S  CHRISTIAN 
ASSOCIATION — HOSTESS  HOUSES 

Much  is  done  also  to  serve  the  soldiers'  families  who 
visit  the  camps.  The  assistance  of  the  Travelers'  Aid 
Society  has  been  enlisted,  and  the  Young  Women's 

23 


Christian  Association  has  been  asked  to  establish  "hos- 
tess houses"  within  the  confines  of  each  camp.  Five 
of  the  "hostess  houses"  have  already  been  completed, 
and  twenty-three  more  are  being  built.  Their  purpose 
is  to  afford  a  place  within  the  camp  where  a  soldier  can 
meet  his  family  and  friends. 

The  girls  of  the  community,  through  the  Ycung 
Women's  Christian  Association  and  other  agencies,  have 
been  organized  into  clubs  and  patriotic  leagues,  with  the 
object  of  keeping  them  occupied  in  hospital  and  patriotic 
pursuits. 


THE  CONTROL  OF  ALCOHOL 
AND  PROSTITUTION 

THE  problem  of  suppressing  vice  and  the  sale  of 
alcohol   to   soldiers  at  or  near  army  camps,   in 
accordance  with  Sections  12  and  13  of  the  Mili- 
tary Draft  Law,  is  being  attacked  from  many  angles  and 
with  varied  agencies. 

The  first  and  prime  requisite  is  the  gathering  of  full 
and  accurate  information  as  to  actual  conditions  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  camps.  The  machinery^  for 
gathering  this  information  has  included  the  field  agents 
of  the  Commission,  the  field  men  of  the  Department  of 
Justice,  the  Intelligence  Department  of  the  Army,  the 
local  provost  guards,  as  well  as  the  staffs  of  such  organ- 
izations as  the  National  American  Social  Hygiene  Asso- 
ciation, the  Committee  of  Fourteen  of  New  York,  the 
Committee  of  Fifteen  of  Chicago,  the  Watch  and  Ward 
Society  of  New  England,  and  the  Bureau  of  Social  Hy- 
giene of  New  York. 

The  information  thus  received  has  been  utilized  by  the 
Commission,  sometimes  from  Washington  and  some- 

25 


times  through  the  representatives  in  the  field,  to  secure 
improvement  in  moral  conditions  where  such  improve- 
ment was  needed. 

A  direct  representative  of  the  Commission  is  now 
located  in  the  vicinity  of  every  National  Army  and 
National  Guard  Camp,  and  continuous  investigations 
are  in  progress.  The  work  of  these  representatives  is 
checked  by  supervisors  for  given  districts,  who  also  con- 
trol the  work  in  the  smaller  specialized  camps. 

THE  RESULTS  ACCOMPLISHED 

As  concrete  examples  of  what  has  been  accomplished 
may  be  mentioned  the  closing  of  Red  Light  Districts  in 
the  following  cities:  Deming,  N.  M.,  El  Paso,  Waco, 
San  Antonio,  Fort  Worth,  and  Houston,  Texas;  Hatties- 
burg,  Miss.;  Spartanburg,  S.  C.;  Norfolk  and  Peters- 
burg, Va. ;  Jacksonville,  Fla. ;  Alexandria,  La. ;  Savannah, 
Ga. ;  Charleston,  Columbia  and  Greenville,  S.  C. ;  Doug- 
las, Ariz.;  Louisville,  Ky. ;  and  Montgomery,  Ala.  New 
Orleans  has  passed  an  ordinance  which  will  wipe  out  its 
Red  Light  District  on  or  about  November  isth.  Many 
cities  in  which  no  Red  Light  Districts  were  formally 
tolerated  have,  at  the  instance  of  the  Commission, 
abolished  their  open  houses  of  prostitution. 

26 


STATE  AID 

In  addition,  the  laws  against  vice  have  been  strength- 
ened in  many  cities  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Commis- 
sion's representatives,  and  the  machinery  for  the  en- 
forcement of  those  laws  has  been  geared  up  to  a  higher 
notch  of  efficiency.  In  California  and  Arkansas,  State 
Military  Welfare  Commissions  have  been  appointed  by 
the  Governors  of  those  states,  at  the  instigation  of  repre- 
sentatives of  this  Commission,  and  executive  secretaries 
have  been  appointed  to  carry  on  the  work  of  vice  re- 
pression. 

SEX  HYGIENE  WORK 

A  wide  educational  campaign  along  lines  of  sex  hy- 
giene has  been  undertaken  in  all  the  camps,  through  the 
agency  of  the  American  Social  Hygiene  Association  and 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  Lectures,  mov- 
ing pictures,  and  exhibits  of  various  kinds  are  utilized, 
and  an  extensive  literature  has  been  developed.  Educa- 
tional work  has  also  been  undertaken  in  the  adjacent 
communities,  and  the  widest  possible  use  is  made  of 
pamphlets  and  other  literature  to  impress  upon  the 
communities  the  policy  of  absolute  repression  which  the 
War  Department  has  adopted. 

27 


COMMITTEE  ON  PROTECTIVE  WORK  FOR  GIRLS 

The  problem  created  by  the  presence  of  young  girls 
in  the  neighborhood  of  training  camps  has  proved  so 
great  that  a  special  committee  under  the  Commission 
has  been  formed  to  urge  the  appointment  of  women 
protective  officers  in  every  community  adjacent  to  a 
military  camp  and  to  handle  the  many  reformative  ques- 
tions associated  with  delinquency.  This  committee, 
under  the  chairmanship  of  Miss  Maude  Miner  of  New 
York,  consists  of  Mrs.  Martha  P.  Falconer  of  Philadel- 
phia, Mrs.  John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.,  of  New  York,  Mrs. 
James  Cushman  of  New  York,  and  Mrs.  William  Dum- 
mer  of  Chicago.  A  training  school  for  women  protective 
officers,  under  Miss  Miner's  direction,  has  been  opened 
in  New  York,  and  every  effort  is  being  made  to  supply 
the  rapidly  growing  demand  for  trained  workers  of  this 
kind. 


28 


'IpHE  Navy  Department  Commission  on 
Training  Camp  Activities  is  distinct  from 
the  War  Department  Commission  and  covers  a 
different  field  of  work.  It  was  appointed  by 
Secretary  Daniels  in  July,  1917,  and  consists  of 
the  following: 

RAYMOND  B.  FOSDICK,  Chairman 
LIEUT.  RICHARD  E.  BYRD,  U.S.N.,  Secretary 


CLIFFORD  W.  BARNES 
WALTER  CAMP 
SELAH  CHAMBERLAIN 
JOHN  J.  EAGAN 
JOSEPH  LEE 
E.  T.  MEREDITH 


BARTON  MYERS 

CHARLES  P.  NEILL 

MRS.  HELEN  RING  ROBINSON 

MRS.  FINLEY  SHEPARD 

MRS.  DAISY  MCLAURIN  STEVENS 

JOHN  S.  TICHENOR 


A  pamphlet  descriptive  of   its  activities  will 
shortly  be  published. 


29 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


f  " 

' 


pr-  n  5 


^':  v-ULATION  DEPT. 


LD  21-100m-7,'40 (6936s) 


Cay |ord  Bros. 

Makers 
Syracuse,  N.  Y 

PAT  JAN.  21.  1908 


YC  6287 

U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


372084 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


